Method of desiccating air.



"No. 853,559. PATENTED MAY 14, 1907. P. A. MAIGNEN 6; T. I. GRANB.

METHOD 9F 'DESIGGATING AIR.

APPLIGATIOH FILED JULY 9, i306.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PROSPER AUGUSTE MAIGN EN AND THERON I. CRANE, OF PHILADELPHIA,

' PENNSYLVANIA.

METHGD or" oEsiccA'rme AIR.

no. cosmos.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 14, 1907- Application filed July 9,1908. Serial No.325,429.

To all whom it my concern:

' Be it'imown that we, PRQSPER Auous'rn' betweenatmos heric air andafinely divided hygroscopic su stance so that the moisture or wateryvapor in the air will be absorbed by such substance.

In the preferred mode of operation such a hygroscopic substance aspowdered limo capable oi absorbinp moisture is disseminated and floatedin a current of atmospheric air, in'"-such quantities, for such timeture and in such manner as may be required to efl'ect the absorption ofthe moisture of the air to the extent desired.

In practice, for various uses, it is desirable to se arate the lime withits absorbed moisom the dried air and to this end the lime laden currentof air may be carried through a filtering mechanism which separates thesuspended matter from the desiccated air; It may also be desirable tocirculate the air with the suspended desiccatingagent in a cham her toeffect the more thorough absorption of moisture and permit thclsuspcudedmatter to either settle in the chamber or pass therefrom withthe air.The air thus treated may be used in various manufacturing operationswhere desiccated air is desired, as in smelting iron, drying grain, andthe like.

While it is the primary object of the invention to extract an impurityor foreign matter such as moisture from air by floating finely d ividodabsorbent material therewith, it is to be understood that the removal ofother impurities such as carbonic acid is contemplatcd and that themethod is applicable to the removal of impurities from other gases.

The accompanying drawing represents a sectional side elevation of aplant which may be cm loyed for the practice of the method as app leitoblast furnaces.

T re a paratus shown inthe drawing com- .prises a iopper l-for holdingpowdered lime which is carried by the feeding mechanism 2 through aslfter or screen 3 and delivered lIl disseminated form to a current ofair flowing through the conduit 4. The air ladcncd with the powderedlime is carried from the conduit 4 into the circulating chamber 5 andthence through the conduit 6 into the circulatingdhamber 7, by whichtime and space are prdvidcd for icrmitiing the lime to effect theabsorption 0 the moisture from the air.

From the chamber 7 the now desiccated air may be discharged byxthcconduit 8 upuvardly through the vessel 9 containing a body of coke orother suitable filtering material it] and thence throughtho conduit 1into the furihcr vessel 12 containing a body of filtering material 13,the filters thus providcd st mrating: from the air its burnedof limowith its absorbed moisl uro.

The air may be forced through the appuratus described by means of acompressor 14 discharging through a conduit 15 connected with theconduit 4, a nozzlc Hi carrying the air from the conduit 15 into theconduit 4 to eil'ect an ejector like action and suction for drawing thelime into the air current.

As applied to blast furnace use, the air from the filters would becarried by the conduit 1? through the stove is and thence through theconduit 19 to the blast pipe 20 and the twycrs 21 into the furnace 22.

Various changes may be made in the charactor and arrangement of theapparatus omployod without varying the essential features of the mode ofoperation, as, for example, in certain operations the filters may beomitted or so arranged asto permit a part of the suspended matter topass flieretlnough with the air for further use.

As the amount of moisture to be absorbed and the quantity of limonecessary for its ab sor'ption can be readily determined, and as theWhole body of the powdered lime dis scminated through the air is active,the dvsiccatin r operation can be effected quickly scientiiica ly or toa desired degree, and economioally. 7

Having described our mvention, we claim 3. The method of desiccating airwhich 1 consists in floating a finely divided hygroscopic materialtherein to remove the bulk of the moisture therefrom, and then filteringto separate theh groscopic matter.

4. The met 0d which consists in sifting a finely divided hygroscopicagent into a cur rent of atmospheric air and circulating the air withits burden of hygrosco ic material until such material has absorber thebulk of the moisture from the air 5. The method which consists of feedng powdered lime into a current of air contanr mg moisture, circulatingsaid air with its burden of lime in a suitable chamber or chambers untilthe lime has absorbed the bulkof the moisture from the air, and thenpassing the air through a suitable filter or filters to separatetherefrom the lime with its absorbed moisture.

6. The method which consists in floating finely divided lime in acurrent of air and circulating the air with its burden of lime untilsuch lime has absorbed the bulk of the moisture from the air.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our names this 30th (la ofJune, 1906, in the presence of the subscribing witnesses.

lltOSlER AUGUSTE MMGNUN. lllEliON I. CRANE.

' Witnesses:

ROBERT JAMES EARLEY, Jos. G. DENNY, Jr.

